Car Racing without Money-Chapter 475 - 187: You Think You Deserve to Play the Victim? (2)

Chapter 475: Chapter 187: You Think You Deserve to Play the Victim? (2)

These two people usually act like strangers, would Trulli actually take the initiative to help Chen Xiangbei?

"Trulli’s character is quite fiery and reckless. In another way, you could say he’s straightforward and sincere. Compared to the political intrigue in the paddock, at least internal team competition is somewhat simpler."

Odetto spoke these words meaningfully.

F1 isn’t like the lower-level formulas; besides improving driving skills and speed, there are many entangled interests.

Trulli isn’t a good teammate, but he’s not the worst either.

"I understand."

After a brief exchange, Chen Xiangbei followed Odetto back to the paddock.

At this moment, the initial inspection and tuning of the car had been completed, and the fluids had been pre-heated. They were just waiting for the practice session signal to commence before heading onto the track.

Compared to lower-level formulas which only have one practice session, F1 practice sessions are divided into three parts, with two sessions on Friday and the final session on Saturday.

The three practice sessions are abbreviated in English as FP1 (Free Practice 1), FP2, FP3.

In China, they are commonly referred to as the first practice, second practice, and third practice.

At that time, the two practice sessions on Friday were both ninety minutes long, while on Saturday it was shortened to one hour.

Moreover, during the practice session, there are no restrictions on driver starts, pit stops, or lap times, following the principle of free practice.

Chen Xiangbei sat in the TF110 cockpit, fastened the six-point seatbelt, and with the electric motor starting the engine,

a deep roar came as the Toyota RVX-09 Engine was ignited!

"Bei, start with a technical check lap first."

Odetto reminded with a word.

This was the TF110’s first formal participation in a weekend Grand Prix, and a comprehensive check of the car’s power unit, transmission system, aerodynamic package, fluid system, and more was needed to avoid defects during transportation.

It must be remembered that every team’s power unit reserves are limited. Especially with HRT needing to procure engines from Toyota’s engine department, it was essential to pay extra attention to protecting the car’s engine.

"Roger that."

Chen Xiangbei signaled with an "OK" hand gesture and then put on his racing helmet, focusing his gaze on the indicator lights above the garage. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

A green light signifies that the driver can exit the pit; a red light indicates a car passing through the pit lane, leading to investigations and penalties for unsafe releases.

Soon, two green lights lit up, and Chen Xiangbei accelerated out of the garage, driving through the Bahrain Circuit’s pit lane.

The entire pit lane was quite empty, with only Chen Xiangbei’s car exiting the pit.

With a ninety-minute practice session, no driver would foolishly complete the full session, as it results in significant physical and engine life depletion.

Typically, in a practice session, a driver completes about twenty laps within the ninety minutes, stopping intermittently and adjusting based on track feedback.

If the track conditions are complicated, or the driver lacks a clear precedent,

then the number of practice laps might exceed twenty-five, conversely dropping below twenty if not.

The black and orange 13 car drove onto the track, not met by much applause or cheering, but rather indifference and even boos!

The Sakhir Circuit, situated in the heart of the desert, has very limited spectator capacity, holding up to fifty thousand even when fully occupied.

Adding to it being the season opener, obtaining tickets was nearly impossible!

At this era, Chinese fans within the global scope are ultimately a minority.

Even fewer can make it to the Bahrain Circuit to watch live.

As an F1 rookie, Chen Xiangbei had yet to gather an overseas fanbase, so the reception from the live audience was lukewarm.

As for the boos, the issue stemmed from his boastful words during the press conference and his associating publicity with Kimi Raikkonen, sparking hostility and resentment among F1 fans and fan groups.

It’s akin to a foreign table tennis player claiming to be "the legendary duo" with Ma Long, only to face overwhelming criticism from domestic fans.

What level are you at to be on par with Ma Long?

Or another perspective, domestic soccer players going abroad, proclaiming they will be the next superstar.

Isn’t that begging for backlash...

Whether Chen Xiangbei was subjective or passive, boasting once it’s out means facing public ridicule is quite regular.

The beauty of motorsport is that the engine noise is loud enough; at full tilt, it’s almost as loud as a small jet plane, making any outside reaction and boos inaudible to the driver, not affecting their mindset in the slightest.

The current fastest lap record at the Bahrain Circuit is 1 minute 30.252 seconds by Schumacher in 2004.

Chen Xiangbei’s technical check lap was slow, taking over two minutes to complete.

Even without acceleration and timing, Chen Xiangbei could still feel the track was very slippery, accurately described as especially slippery!

"Bei, how does the first lap feel?"

Odetto’s voice came through the earpiece, as there was a reason for letting Chen Xiangbei be the first to leave the pit for practice.

The term "first lap" in F1 is a "technical term," which can also be called jargon.

Before each F1 Grand Prix begins, when track usage is relatively low, the track tends to be "dirty."

This "dirty" doesn’t mean there’s much garbage, but rather it lacks rubber debris from tire wear, resulting in relatively low grip.

Especially on desert tracks like Bahrain, no matter how much pre-race cleaning is done, a slight breeze fills the air with dust, making the first driver to go out feel like sliding on ice.

"It’s very slippery."

"Remember this feeling; don’t hit the wall during qualifying and the race."